Shure
Beta 52A
Dynamic · Supercardioid · 20–10,000 Hz · a rider regular
- 174 dB max SPL — you will run out of drummer long before you run out of microphone.
- Shure's far-field curve dips about 9 dB around 200–250 Hz and peaks near +7 dB at 4 kHz, so much of the usual kick EQ is already in the capsule.
- 0.6 mV/Pa (−64 dBV/Pa) is a low output: on a quiet source it needs noticeably more preamp gain than a vocal dynamic.
Frequency response
Redrawn from Shure’s published response graph (approximate, ±2 dB) on the fixed MicSense scale — 20 Hz–20 kHz, −20 to +15 dB — so two microphones can be compared at a glance. No image is copied; it is a guide to the shape, not a measurement. Drawn for: solid curve labelled ".06 m (2 ft)" = 0.6 m far field; the dashed 3/25/51 mm proximity curves are not used. The maker’s graph (Frequency-response graph on the shure.com product page (image served from products.shureweb.eu)).
Polar pattern
Generated from the first-order directivity formula for supercardioid. It illustrates the pattern type — it is not a measurement of this individual model.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Shure |
|---|---|
| Model | Beta 52A |
| Type | Dynamic |
| Form factor | End-address |
| Polar pattern | Supercardioid |
| Frequency range | 20–10,000 Hz |
| Sensitivity | 0.6 mV/Pa · -64.0 dBV/Pa |
| Max SPL | 174 dB SPL (1 % THD; 1 kHz, 1 kΩ load) |
| Self-noise | — none (passive capsule) |
| Impedance | 150 Ω (output impedance) |
| Connector | XLR3M |
| Powering | None (dynamic) |
| Weight | 605 g |
Specifications: Shure datasheet · last checked 2 Oct 2026. These are the maker’s published figures for this model. A dash never means zero: “not published by the maker” means the maker’s documents give no figure; “not yet checked” means MicSense has not confirmed one yet. Spotted an error? Tell us.
MicSense notes
| Price tier | Mid |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1998 |
Price tier and “a rider regular” are MicSense’s own judgement, not the maker’s.
What it gets used for
- Kick in
- Kick out
- Bass cab
MicSense tags microphones by the job on a live stage, not by studio category — so you can filter for “kick in” or “monitor vocal” instead of working backwards from “large-diaphragm condenser”.
Beta 52A alternatives: closest in published specs
Based on published specifications only — always listen at soundcheck. These are the microphones in the MicSense library whose datasheet figures sit closest to the Shure Beta 52A’s for the same live job, with the reasons. It says nothing about how they sound.
-
sE Electronics
V KICK
- Same job: kick in, kick out, bass cab
- Same type: dynamic
- Same supercardioid pattern
- Same form: end-address
- Different published response shape (≈ 9.1 dB apart on average, 100 Hz–10 kHz)
- ≈ 4 dB less output — add about 4 dB gain
Not comparable: max SPL not published by the maker
-
AKG
D112 MkII
- Same job: kick in, kick out, bass cab
- Same type: dynamic
- Same form: end-address
- Cardioid instead of supercardioid — deepest rejection at 180°, not ±126°: check where the wedge sits
- Different published response shape (≈ 3.8 dB apart on average, 100 Hz–10 kHz)
- ≈ 9 dB more output — about 9 dB less gain
- Check: Max SPL 14 dB lower (160 vs 174 dB SPL) — check it on kick in
-
Audix
D6
- Same job: kick in, kick out, bass cab
- Same type: dynamic
- Same form: end-address
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
- Cardioid instead of supercardioid — deepest rejection at 180°, not ±126°: check where the wedge sits
- Different published response shape (≈ 6.7 dB apart on average, 100 Hz–10 kHz)
- Check: Max SPL 30 dB lower (144 vs 174 dB SPL) — check it on kick in
Compare it against the alternatives.
MicSense lets you put up to four microphones side by side — spec table, overlaid response curves and polar diagrams on one screen. Free with a free Squaresmile account.